IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON FARM INCOME OF VEGETABLE PRODUCERS IN TERAI REGION OF NEPAL
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Date
2022-01-21
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University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
Abstract
The present study analysed the Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on farm income of fegetable producers in Terai region of Nepal. The study was undertaken in Chitwan fistrict during November, 2019. Data was collected from 90 vegetable growers and analysed using descriptive statistics, costs and returns analysis, production function and decomposition analysis. From the decomposition analysis, it was found that gross returns from the selected vegetables (tomato, cucumber and bitter gourd) production was reduced by 85.65 per cent during COVID period which led to the reduction in household income by 59 per cent.Net returns from tomato cultivation were reduced by NPR 2.06 lakhs (-93.77%) which is attributed to the reduction in its yield by 10.68 per cent, market price by 46.77 per cent and inflated cost of cultivation by 10.98 per cent. Similarly, net retons from cucumber and bitter gourd cultivation were lowered by NPR 1.97 lakhs (-130.55%) and NPR 1.16 lakhs (-99.56%) owing to the reduction in market price by 61.76 per cent <mcd 39.32 per cent. Major problems faced by the respondent farmers during COVID time were pest and disease control (91.11%), marketing of the produce (88.89%) and timely unavailability of quality seeds (82.22%). Pandemic situation was quite distressful for both farmers’ and the Government. Though, in the later stage, the Government relaxed certain restrictions on the operations of agri-business the imposition of lockdown has already damaged whole agricultural industry. This study stresses the need for building IT' and logistical infrastructure to facilitate smooth transaction in agricultural industry.